Mumbai, Dec 3: Amid local body polls, the winter session of the Maharashtra Legislature will be held from December 8 to 14 in Nagpur.

The schedule was finalised on Wednesday at the meetings of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the state Assembly and Council held at Vidhan Bhavan.

The winter session duration was earlier announced from December 8 to 19, when both Houses were prorogued after the conclusion of the monsoon session held in July.

However, the winter session duration has been curtailed as polling during the second phase of the Nagar Parishad and Nagar Panchayat elections is slated for December 20 and counting on December 21.

Speaker Rahul Narwekar chaired the BAC meeting of the state Assembly, while state council Chairman Ram Shinde presided over the BAC meeting of the upper house.

The opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP(SP), during the BAC meetings strongly demanded that the duration of the winter session should be not less than three weeks.

They also demanded that the appointment of leaders of the opposition in the state council and Assembly, respectively, should be done without further delays.

Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Anil Parab confirmed that he and Congress legislator Satej Patil met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding the appointment of leaders of the opposition.

“It is unconstitutional to hold winter session of the state legislature in the absence of the leaders of the opposition,” he said.

He added that the Chief Minister assured them they would “consider the matter positively.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Bhaskar Jadhav criticised the government’s “dilly-dallying” over the appointment of leaders of the opposition in the state Council and Assembly, saying that the government fears the opposition’s presence.

“They (ministers) are not brave enough to face the opposition’s barrage of questions,” he claimed. Jadhav slammed the state government for “curtailing” the winter session, demanding that its duration should have been three weeks.

Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Anil Parab attributed the short duration of the winter session to the impending Municipal Corporation elections in Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, and other major cities, suggesting the government is reluctant to address issues comprehensively before the polls.

“A one-week session is not enough to raise all of Maharashtra’s issues. We only hope that at least Vidarbha’s core issues can be addressed since the session is in Nagpur,” he remarked.

Bhaskar Jadhav argued that the government is “not prepared to extend the session” because, despite having a large majority, “they do not have answers to the torrent of questions from the opposition”.

Bhaskar Jadhav launched a scathing attack on the State Election Commission (SEC) for its alleged inaction on pre-election financial schemes.

“The current State Election Commission seems to be blind, mute, and deaf and working for a political party. Previously, the SEC used to immediately stay financial schemes announced just before elections. But this commission is watching with open eyes while government money is being distributed to buy people’s votes,” he commented.

In a sharp counterattack, BJP legislator Ram Kadam dismissed the opposition’s criticism of the session duration.

“These are the same people who used to wrap up the session in two or three days when they were in power. They are now teaching us how long a session should be,” he retorted.

“These frustrated people need medical treatment,” he said.

Kadam affirmed that the Chief Minister and both Deputy Chief Ministers, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, were fully prepared to answer all the opposition’s questions and that the BJP does not work based on election schedules, as elections are a matter for the State Election Commission.

Nalasopara: The biggest news right now is the recovery of a large quantity of drugs in Nalasopara, which has created a stir in the area.

The incident falls under the jurisdiction of the Tulinj Police Station, in the Prgati Nagar area of Nalasopara East. According to information received, the Crime Branch Unit 2 team got a tip-off that an unknown person was coming to the area to smuggle a large quantity of drugs.

Following this intelligence, the Crime Branch Unit 2 team laid a trap and apprehended the Nigerian individual on the road. During the search, approximately 255 grams of MD (Mephedrone) drugs were seized from him, with a total value estimated at around ₹51 lakh 10 thousand.

The recovery of such a large amount of drugs in broad daylight, just 25 meters away from the Pragati Nagar Beat police chowki (under Tulinj Police Station), has created a sensation and panic in the locality.

Currently, the Crime Branch Unit 3 team has arrested the Nigerian national from the Pragati Nagar area in connection with drug trafficking, carrying out a major operation.

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 3: A court on Wednesday reserved order on the anticipatory bail plea of Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, accused of raping and coercing a woman into an unsafe abortion.

After a 90-minute closed-door hearing, the Court said that since a maze of documents has to be perused, the orders will come accordingly.

Before the start of the hearing, the court cleared the room, reflecting the sensitivity of the case that triggered a major political storm in the state.

Mamkootathil’s counsel argued that the complaint was “motivated and aimed at destroying his political career”, alleging a conspiracy involving the CPI(M) and BJP.

He maintained that the relationship had been consensual and claimed the pregnancy was not related to him.

The defence further argued that the woman herself opted for an abortion. It was also pointed out that this case is being used to divert public attention from the Sabarimala gold smuggling controversy.

The court, after listening to both sides, reserved its order and directed the prosecution to file one more supporting document.

Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team has submitted a detailed report to the court, reportedly containing grave findings.

According to the report, the woman was raped multiple times and was threatened into undergoing an abortion.

Investigators say they have evidence to support allegations of sexual assault and coercion.

The prosecution argued strongly against granting bail, highlighting Mamkootathil’s influence as a public representative.

If released, they warned, he could intimidate the complainant or destroy crucial evidence.

For Mamkootathil, the case has become politically existential.

A court order against him could result in expulsion from his party, for which a majority in the party have gone on record tasking the party’s top brass to ensure that he is expelled.

In August, when this case first surfaced, the party stripped him of the post of Youth Congress president and suspended him from the party.

Even as the case tightens around him, the police have yet to trace the legislator, who, they say, is absconding in Bengaluru, seven days after the complaint was filed.

In her confidential deposition before the Neyyattinkara JFCM court, the woman detailed multiple instances of rape, twice in a Thiruvananthapuram flat and later in Palakkad.

She alleged that Rahul recorded videos of the assaults, used them to threaten her, and repeatedly intimidated her over the phone.

According to the prosecution, Mamkootathil’s friend Joby Joseph delivered the abortion pill and has been named a co-accused.